Casket handle



J. J. TIERNEY GASKET HANDLE Feb. 29, 1944.

Filed June l5 1942 Patented Feb. 29, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,343,127 Y Y GASKET HANDLE John J. Tierney, Springfield, Mass.

Application June 15, 1942, Serial No. 447,083

2 Claims. (o1. 1c112 This invention relates to improvements in handles for caskets and the like.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision of casket handle means that may be made from wood, plastic or the like that is characterized by reinforcing hinging means.

It has been common practice to make lcasket handles from metal but due to the scarcity of metals this invention resides in the provision of a handle which may be made from Wood or plastic that is more readily available than metal and which is provided with reinforcing hinge means so that the handle which would ordinarily be less strong than metal is equal thereto for its function on a casket.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a casket handle embodying the novel features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing a modied form of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the handle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational View of the handle shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the invention will be more fully described.

A lug or ear is shown at 2 which may be of of wood or plastic and this may be secured to the side of a casket by any suitable means such as screws or the like.

The said ear 2 has a slot 4 extending upwardly from its lower end from front to its back side.

A bracket 6 has lugs 8 secured to the rear sides of the ear by screws, as shown, and bearing members I0 thereof extend into the slot 4, all as shown.

A relatively thin and at lever I4 has a lower loop portion I6 or its lower end is apertured for a bar 32. Its upper end is pivoted on a pin I8 extending through the parts IIJ and ear 2. A lug I6 on the upper end of lever I4 is adapted to abut the upper end I1 of bracket 6.

An arm has a bar 32 secured thereto in any suitable manner and on its rear side is provided with a slot 34 in which the edge of lever I4 is disposed with the bar 32 disposed in the loop of the said lever. The arm has an upper tongue 36 receivable in the slot 4 of the ear 2, as shown in Fig. l.V

In the form of the invention shownv in Fig. 2, the arm 30ldoes not have a tongue such as 36 of Fig. 1 but it does have a slot in the rear side thereof such as shown at 4 in Fig. 5 with a relatively narrow slot 4 in the forward face thereof extending into the rst named slot to permit swinging of the lever which is constructed and arranged similarly to that already Adescribed in connection with Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5.

As stated the ear 2 or 2 is secured to the casket by any suitable means so that the arm or the bar may be grasped for swinging it outwardly to the dot-line carrying position of Fig. 4.

When the arm is swung to the position shown, the part I6 of lever I4 abuts the bracket 6 at Il so as to take the strain.A The wooden construction not being sufficiently strong for transporting a casket when several are secured thereto the metal lever and bracket construction associated witl the handle renders the assembly strong and rigi The handle may be made of any shape and size desired and wood, plastic, although not adapted to withstand the strain, are readily ornamented or decorated as\may be desired while the parts are pivotally connected and reinforced so that they are not required to withstand the strains to which handles are usually subjected.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not; as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended vclaims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and pur* View and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A lifting-handle construction for a casket or the like comprising in combination, an ear member for securing to the side Wall of a casket and a manually engageable lifting-arm member with a. pivotal connection between said ear and arm members whereby the latter may swing relative to said ear member between lower and upper positions, said ear member including a part for securing to the side wall of a casket and having a vertically disposed transverse slot therethrough from front to rear faces thereof which extends upwardly from the lower end thereof to a point spaced downwardly from the upper end thereof, said arm member including a. lower body part for disposition below said ear member and an upper tongue extending upwardly therefrom into the slot of the ear member closing said slot on the front face of the ear member when the arm member is in lower position, said pivotal connection including a bracket member having spaced side parts secured to the rear face of said ear member and spaced bearing parts extending forwardly from said side parts into the slot of the ear member, a lever secured to said arm member at the rear side thereof having an upper portion disposed between said bearing parts of the bracket member, and a pivot extending through the upper portion of said lever and the spaced bearing parts of the bracket member.

2. A lifting-handle construction for a casket orthe like comprising in combination, an ear member for securing to the side wall of a casketlhaving a vertical slot extending therethrough at the lower portion thereof from front to back faces terminating at a point spaced downwardly from the upper end thereof, an arm member for swinging between lower and upper lifting positions relative to the ear member having a lower body portion for disposition below the ear member and a tongue extending from the body portion into and filling said slot of the ear member at the forward face thereof when said arm member is in lower position, said arm member on its rear face at its lower` end provided with a rearwardly extending ledge portion for supporting a horizontal bar and a groove for receiving a lever, a bracket having side portions secured to the rear face of the ear member and a central upwardly extending portion with spaced bearing portions extending forwardly from the central portion into the slot of said ear member, a manually enga-geable bar secured to the rear face of said arm member disposed on the ledge portion thereof, a lever member disposed in the groove of the arm member provided with an aperture receiving said bar member and an upper portion between and pivotally connected to the bearing portions, and a lug on the upper end of the lever engageable with the upper end of the central portion of the bracket member to limit upward movement of the arm member relative to the ear member when the arm member is manually engaged and swung upwardly from lower position.

JOHN J. TIERNEY. 

